Colonial Legacies and Tribal Women’s Identity: An Intersectional Analysis of Kailash Sharma’s Anami Nagini
Keywords:
Tribal identity, gender, ethnicity, intersectional oppression, patriarchyAbstract
The issue of tribal identity in India is complex, particularly when viewed in the context of the national identity, which emerged from anti-colonial struggles. Historically, tribal communities lived self-sufficiently, outside the mainstream Indian social structure and were excluded by the varna system as “avarna”. As Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak points out, tribes are considered a part of the subaltern, and are among marginalized groups outside hegemonic power structures. Tribal women, facing dual subjugation as both tribal and female, experience a unique form of intersectional oppression not fully addressed by the concept of Brahmanical patriarchy, which focuses on class, caste, and gender within the Hindu caste system. This study examines the identity of tribal women through the novel, Anami Nagini by Kailash Sarma. By analysing the intersection of gender, ethnicity, culture, and socio-economic factors, the study aims to highlight the distinct experiences and challenges faced by tribal women in a patriarchal society. It explores the diverse ways that patriarchal powers garner control over the formation of their identity.
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